Personal watercraft hull designs typically have a center keel shape that remains essentially constant over the length of the watercraft, or transitions to a flatter, shallower keel shape as the tunnel to the rear of the watercraft is approached. Some personal watercraft have substantially rounded, shallow-angled, or even flat center regions, disposed between longitudinal chines running along the underside of the personal watercraft. The conventional design has proved adequate in the past in general, but applicants suspected that the conventional hull design could be changed to improve personal watercraft handling in rough water.